Cheren's Story
by Alwayssearching2012
Summary: Retelling of Black and White games from the first person point of view of Cheren, and how he learns that sometimes supporting your friends on their journey is more important than being the strongest. His relationship with Alder will also be explored in depth. Rated T because I'm paranoid
1. Chapter 1: The First Battles

**AN:** So, I actually started writing this story when I was back in high school (I'm a college graduate twice over now, lol), but deleted it because I didn't have enough time to devote to it and I felt awful that people were subscribed to it and I couldn't give them enough updates. I still don't know how good I'll be at making sure updates happen regularly, but I loved this story and the concept, and I want to keep trying. Here goes!

 **My name is Cheren. And this is the story of how I came to understand that not everyone can be the hero.**

Today was the day I had been waiting for my entire life. I was FINALLY ten years old and could receive a Pokemon from Professor Juniper! Or, more accurately, my best friend Aria was finally ten years old. She, our other best friend Bianca, and I were the only children all born within the same year in Nuvema Town, and since she had the latest birthday of us all, we all had to wait for her to turn ten years old before we could start our journeys. As often as I teased her about it, the truth was that those two girls had been my best friends practically since we were all born - after all, Nuvema was basically the outskirts of Unova and almost no one else our age (or otherwise) lived here. I couldn't imagine starting my journey without either of them at my side.

I had spent countless hours pored over encyclopedias, research articles, and attempting to command Grouchy the Stoutland, Aria's family pet, in anticipation of this very moment. My parents, Arceus love them, had always encouraged my love of reading, studying, and desire to "be the very best, like no one ever was," but I was so ready to see the world for myself as a nomad trainer, as they both had when they were around my age.

I ran the several blocks to Aria's house in the center of town bright and early, slamming the door open and nearly getting tackled by a growling but cuddly Grouchy in response. It had been years since I had ceased knocking in order to gain entry.

"Good morning, Cheren!" Aria's mom called cheerfully from the kitchen. "Why don't you go get Aria from upstairs! I made pancakes for all of you for your special day!"

"You already know I'm never going to turn those down, ma'am! We'll be right down!" I exclaimed, extracting myself from Grouchy's jaws and rushing up the stairs to my best friend's bedroom, stupidly not bothering to knock before I barged in.

"Cheren!" Aria screeched, mercifully hidden behind her closet door. "I was changing out of my pajamas! Rude!"

Blushing furiously, I looked anywhere in the room but at Aria, locking eyes with the giant box, tied with a green bow and wrapped up in pretty blue paper, on her desk. Those had to be the Pokemon. I had seen Professor Juniper leaving the house as I came running around the block.

"What's keeping Bianca?" I asked impatiently, tapping my foot against the ground in anticipation.

On cue, Bianca also burst upstairs, nearly tripping over her own feet and dropping her giant green beret from on top of her head. That was typical.

"Am I a little late again? Sooo-ooorry!"

"Will no one give me some peace to get dressed?!" screeched Aria.

She went ignored. "Bianca," I replied as patiently as I could, "I've known for ten years that you have no sense of time but...seriously...today's the day we can get a Pokemon from Professor Juniper!"

Bianca had the grace to look contrite. "I know. Sorry, Aria. Sorry, Cheren." Brightening up as we both begrudgingly accepted her apology, she continued, "So where are the Pokemon? It's Aria's house, so Aria gets first pick!"

"Naturally," I agreed. To be honest, Bianca was the oldest, so she should probably have gotten first pick, but it was just like her to consider those around her before herself.

"The Pokemon are inside that gift box," I explained, pointing in the direction of Aria's desk. "Aria, you go first and take a peek inside the gift box. I want to meet the Pokemon right now!"

Finally fully dressed, Aria emerged into the center of the room and tore open the gift box with anticipation. There were three shiny new Pokeballs inside, one for each of us.

"Okay, come on out, new friends!" Aria sang, tossing all the Pokeballs in the air at once to release them. As a result, we were greeted with a green snakelike Pokemon on two short legs and a forked tail with three leaves on it, a small orange-and-black pig, and a timid-looking blue-and-white otter with a large shell on its chest, which it immediately began picking at shyly. The pig began sniffing at the ground in search of food, and the snake simply looked down its nose at all of us. _Snivy, Tepig, and that little one must be the Water-type, Oshawott._

Aria bent down on one knee and pointed at the little otter's shell. "Hey, that's pretty cool. I wish I had one of those," she said, obviously trying to make the shy little thing feel better. The Pokemon immediately smiled and pulled it off to show it to her.

"I bet you're really strong in battle with that as a weapon! Would you like to join me as my first Pokemon?" she asked. The Oshawott nodded and gave her a huge smile, jumping into her arms for a big hug.

Aria grinned. "I chose this one, so now it's your turns, guys!"

"Okay, I'll take this Pokemon!" Bianca answered, grabbing up the chubby little Tepig as it started trying to chew on her sneaker and nearly dropping it in the process. "Cheren, that one's yours!"

"Hey, how come you get to pick out my Pokemon?" I protested good-naturedly. "Oh, never mind. I wanted Snivy from the start, anyway." I had picked it out during my snake Pokemon-obsessed phase when I was five. My entire room had been decorated with Arbok drawings, posters, and various plushies, and damned if I wasn't getting a snake as my starter Pokemon.

My new Snivy gave me a slight smirk, but that was her only sign of acceptance as my starter.

"Everyone has chosen a Pokemon, so that's that!" Bianca proudly announced. "Hey, I know! Let's have a Pokemon battle!" she exclaimed, pointing dramatically at Aria and the Oshawott that was still nuzzling her cheek happily.

"Honestly, Bianca?" I asked in disbelief. "Even though they're still weak Pokemon, you shouldn't have Pokemon battles inside a house."

"Don't be a worrywart!" scoffed Bianca. "These little ones are weak, like you said. We have to let them battle so they'll get stronger. It's settled, Aria! Get ready for a Pokemon battle!"

I considered mentioning the pancakes cooking downstairs, but after Bianca helped Aria destroy the upstairs, I wasn't even sure those would be in the cards for us anymore.

"All right, let's go, Azure!" Aria's little Oshawott, beaming at his new nickname, did a little front flip down from her arms and held out his scalchop, looking pumped for battle.

"Let's go, Bacon!" Tepig looked utterly unconcerned at his offensive nickname and trotted over a few feet from where Oshawott was standing, placing himself in a tackling position.

"Azure, Tackle!"

"Bacon, dodge and use Tackle right back!"

I'll spare you the boring details of the battle. Tepigs by nature are slow compared to the Oshawott species, and as such, Bacon was defeated rather handily in just a few minutes by Azure, who danced around proudly at his victory.

"Wow, Aria! You're going to be an awesome Trainer someday, I can tell! No doubt!" Bianca said after handing over some prize money and shaking Aria's hand, not in the least bit bothered by her loss.

What _wasn't_ boring, however, was how dirty and messed up Aria's room was once the battle was over. I mean, how were there footprints on the ceiling?!

"Uh, Bianca, would you take a look around?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

Jumping in surprise as she took in what looked like a post-apocalyptic scene around us, she screeched, somehow all in one breath, "Whoa! What happened?! Wow...Pokemon are _amazing!_ So little, but so _strong!_ I'm so glad that I get to have a Pokemon! Um...sorry about your room, Aria."

"You...are completely hopeless," I sighed. "Here. Let me restore your Pokemon for you both." For years, I had carried around a Trainer-style backpack full of any healing items my parents left laying around or that I could afford via Pidove mail. Now, it finally looked like it belonged on me, and I pulled out a few spray Potions for the well-deserved battlers.

"Hey, Cheren! Why don't you battle, too?" suggested Bianca. "With all you know, I'm sure you could battle without turning the room into a disaster area like I did."

"I believe you're right!" _Have I_ ever _said that to Bianca in a decade of friendship?_ "It'll be no problem for me to keep the room from getting any messier. Besides, it's not fair if you two are the only ones who get to have fun battling!"

I stepped across from Aria, just as Bianca had earlier, my Snivy at my side still. "It's decided. You'll be my opponent...in our first Pokemon battle! Let's go...Charlotte? Is that an okay nickname for you?" I asked my Snivy. She gave me a soft smile and nod, then walked in front of me, posing her vines in a battle stance.

"I love that name!" exclaimed Aria. "And you're on, Cheren! Azure isn't tired yet!" Again, the Oshawott flipped out of her arms, waving his scalchop.

Again, our Pokemon did the same song and dance of tackling and dodging attacks. Snivy are fast Pokemon, and more defensive than most, so although Charlotte could both take and dodge several hits more than Bacon managed to, she ended up becoming tired and falling to the superior offensive power of Azure, much like her previous opponent. I grumpily also paid Aria some prize money, chalking it up to my birthday present to her, but made sure to thank Charlotte for her great effort. She shook my hand solemnly with her vine, as if to say we would win next time.

"I made a strange blunder in my first battle," I admitted, "but this feeling I have...I'm finally a Trainer! But first...we'd better go apologize to your mother about this messed-up room." Aria and Bianca both winced, but nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I'd better come too," Bianca added, and they both followed me down the stairs.

"I'm very sorry about all the trouble, ma'am," I explained to Aria's mother, looking downwards in embarrassment. _Even though_ I _was the one who tried to prevent this…_

"Well, um...we can clean up…" Bianca added contritely.

Aria's mom laughed. "Clean up? No worries. I'll take care of it later. Shouldn't you be on your way to meet Professor Juniper? After my delicious pancakes, of course!"

I sighed with relief that we were still allowed to eat. "Yes, of course, ma'am, thank you so much!" we all three chorused, and then scrambled into the kitchen to three heaping plates of pancakes and syrup, plus a small cake with "Happy Birthday Aria" written on it. We sang to her, gave her our traditional homemade cards, and offered our best wishes on her next year.

 **Really, I should have known from my first defeat at Aria's hands that I wasn't meant to save the world. That I wouldn't be the protagonist in the story that was about to play out in Unova. But I was still young, still optimistic, still convinced that my studying and intense training would carry me through the real world. I was about to get a rude awakening…**

 **AN:** I decided to name Cheren's Snivy Charlotte because I mentioned his childhood obsession with Arbok, and it was the most feminine way I could think of to incorporate "CHAAAAAARRRRBOK!" I thought it was pretty creative, anyway.


	2. Chapter 2: It Begins With The First Step

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Also, changed the player character's name to Aria because a) I hate the names Hilda and Hilbert and b) an aria is a small musical piece usually done in the context of a larger opera, and I thought that seemed symbolic.**

After breakfast, we all agreed to go our separate ways for an hour or so to say our goodbyes to our parents, make any final preparations, and then meet up at Professor Juniper's lab in the northwest of town. We had all played and helped out with the Pokemon there many times growing up, so hopefully Bianca wouldn't get lost (this time).

As for myself, I didn't even bother walking back home. My parents knew what today was, as did I. There was no point in delaying the inevitable, and none of us were the sentimental type. Half an hour later, Aria skipped happily up to the lab with Azure the Oshawott cradled in her arms. Bianca was nowhere in sight. _Of course…_

"What's keeping Bianca this time?" I asked Aria, trying not to stifle a groan.

Aria winced. "Her dad sounded really mad when I walked past their house a few minutes ago. I think she just tried to calm him down a little. She promised me she'd be on her way soon."

Ugh. That made more sense. Bianca's dad had always scared me. He was nice enough, but very overprotective of his daughter, and to her detriment, in all our opinions.

Bianca finally stumbled up the path roughly ten minutes later.

"Sorry, guys!" she gasped, out of breath from running clear across the few dirt roads that marked Nuvema Town's limited boundaries. "My mom kept reminding me about things I needed that I hadn't packed!"

We reassured Bianca that all was forgiven, and then, _at last,_ we stepped inside the Pokemon lab together.

"Hi there! I've been waiting for you young people!" a tall, elegantly dressed brunette woman greeted us as soon as we walked inside. "Let me introduce myself again. My name is-"

"Professor Juniper?" I cut in. "We _know_ your name."

Disgruntled, the professor chided, "Come, come, Cheren! This is not a time to take things lightly. Today is a day to remember always, so it's best to behave with some formality." Chastened, I resolved not to open my mouth again and nodded.

"That being so, once again, my name is Professor Juniper, and I am researching when and how the creatures called Pokemon came into existence!" Startling for a second, she looked back and forth between all three of us.

"Oh, that's unusual! You've already had a Pokemon battle." _I guess she noticed the dirt on our clothes?_

"So maybe that's why...it feels as if your Pokemon have already begun to trust you! As for why I gave all of you Pokemon-"

"It's for the Pokedex, right?" I interjected, before I could help myself. Aria gave me one of her famous side-eyed looks while Bianca just giggled good-naturedly, then looked questioningly in my direction.

"Pokedex?" she asked timidly.

I practically preened as Professor Juniper, far from being annoyed this time, gushed, "I am astonished. Nice work, Cheren! You have already studied Pokemon extensively, haven't you?"

 _That's right! Gotta start early if you're going to be the Unova Champion._

After a basic explanation of how the Pokedex was a high-tech device that contained data on all the Unova region's Pokemon _(blah blah blah),_ Professor Juniper asked us all if we were willing to go on a journey around the region to help her research.

"OK! I mean...yes, Professor!" Bianca offered.

"Of course!" Aria said politely, but grinned in betrayal of her excitement.

"Thank you very much," I replied formally. "Because of you, I can become a Pokemon Trainer, exactly as I've always wished."

"All of you have given me the best possible answer!" Professor Juniper replied cheerfully, and handed each of us a small, rectangular black-and-red electronic box - _the Pokedex. Wow…_

"Next, I need to teach you how to meet Pokemon," the Professor continued briskly, as if it weren't the most momentous occasion of my young life that she was currently interrupting. "Please meet me at Route 1, OK?" We all chorused our agreement and she was off ahead of us, walking with a small, gray, fluffy mouse-like Pokemon on her shoulder.

We were all silent for a moment, imagining the possibilities that were now at our fingertips.

"S-Since the Professor asked us, it's OK to go on an adventure, right?" Bianca asked nervously. "I can explore and maybe find out what I want to do in life. I think I'd like that."

"Of course," I reassured her. "We can travel however we want while we complete the Pokedex."

All three of us stumbled out of the lab after Professor Juniper at around the same time, only to come face-to-face with Aria's mom.

"Oh, there you are!" she said cheerfully. "And…? What did the Professor have to say? She asked you to complete the Pokedex?! I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, seeing the small electronic devices we all clutched as if our lives depended on it.

"Well, actually, I can," she added sheepishly. "I already knew she was going to ask. That's why I brought you three of these Town Maps! Take them with you!"

Conveniently, the Town Maps were in a memory card format that we could insert into our Pokedexes for easy access.

"I'll take good care of it," I reassured Aria's mom.

"Th-thank you so much!" exclaimed Bianca, overwhelmed with all her new gadgets.

"As for your room, Aria...or what's left of it…" - we all winced at those words - "no need for any of you to worry. I'll take care of tidying up. OK, Aria?"

All of us let out an audible breath after these words.

"Ah, Pokemon…" she continued. "They are so cute, but they have enough power to destroy a bedroom! They are really something. With Pokemon like that at your side, you'll be safe wherever you go. I'll let your parents know! I hope that, in addition to Pokemon, you'll find lots and lots of places you like in the Unova region, and become wonderful adults!"

"Have a great trip," she added more softly, eyes misting. Then she walked back toward Aria's house and disappeared through the front door.

"If I use the Town Map, I'll always know where I am...that's certainly helpful," I mused. "Shall we head to Route 1? The professor's waiting."

"Let's go, let's go!" Bianca cheered. "Aria, hurry up and come too!"

"Not if I beat you there first!" Aria retorted, and they both raced off in the northeast direction of Nuvema Town. Not too hard, since there was only one road to follow. I followed along at a brisk pace, albeit more slowly.

"OK, everyone!" Bianca announced once I caught up to the girls. "If we're starting this journey together, we all need to take our first step at the same time!"

She counted us off, and towards the tall grass we went. At the time, I thought it was rather silly, but now, I appreciate that memory far more than Bianca probably knows. It started a slow, subtle loss of innocence on our parts, and was our last day in ignorance of the storm that was slowly forming in Unova...


	3. Chapter 3: Accumula-ting Trouble

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Also, if I have any readers out there, let me know which version legendary you'd like me to have Aria capture. (I'm leaning towards Reshiram because of my plans for her team, though.) One more thing - each main character will have their full team of 6 by the endgame.**

"Oh, I wonder what will happen! Isn't this so exciting?!" Bianca squealed as soon as we had taken just a few steps away from Nuvema Town.

 _Whatever it is, it will probably happen much more quickly if we kept moving!_ I didn't say that, though. Instead, I simply agreed with my friend and gently nudged her forward, as both Aria and I had learned to do over the years. "It sure is. C'mon, the professor's waiting!"

All three of us rushed forward to a thicket of tall grass where Professor Juniper was waiting with the mousy gray Pokemon, who was currently sitting on the ground tapping his foot. I grandiosely apologized on our behalf for keeping her waiting, and then she demonstrated how to catch a basic Normal-type Pokemon called a Patrat with her chosen partner, whom I learned was a Minccino. I'll spare you the boring details.

"The Pokedex's pages update automatically whenever you meet a Pokemon! Moreover, it's set up so that you obtain even more information when you catch a Pokemon." As if to demonstrate her wish, she gave us each 5 Pokeballs to catch our own Pokemon, and promised she would meet us in Accumula Town, past Route 1, before leaving.

"She forgot to say that Pokemon jump out at you in the tall grass," I added with a touch of satisfaction to my friends. "I'm heading to Accumula Town, too."

"I think I'll go, too," added Bianca. "I'm looking forward to the next town so I can go shopping for Pokeballs!"

Aria too voiced her agreement to walk towards Accumula, and just as I turned to leave, Bianca exclaimed, "Wait a minute! Hey listen, Aria, Cheren, I thought of something fun!"

"But we need to get going," I pleaded with Bianca. "I'd imagine the professor's waiting, too," I added as a last-ditch effort to convince her to drop the idea.

"Would you just listen a sec? Seriously!" Bianca scoffed. "Why don't we see who can catch the most Pokemon? The person carrying the most Pokemon, including the one received from Professor Juniper, is the winner!"

"Huh," I replied, dumbfounded that Bianca had actually come up with a good, practical idea. "Actually, that sounds interesting. It will fill up Pokedex pages, so I'm sure it will please the professor, too. Ok, then. Until we reach Accumula Town, take care of healing your Pokemon at your own house, if necessary."

We all agreed to these terms, and separated, all the while with Bianca calling towards us, "Me and Bacon will do the best for sure!"

I released Charlotte, explained the contest to her, and resumed walking along Route 1, both of us keeping our eyes peeled for potential catches. After nearly half an hour of walking around and only fending off more Patrat and a smaller puppy Pokemon called Lillipup, I was getting a bit frustrated with the inability to show off something noteworthy to the professor on my Pokedex pages. To my great relief, Charlotte finally hissed and pointed in the direction of a tree branch farther north.

"Snivy, sni, sni!" she insisted, gesturing with her vines.

We crept over as silently as possible, and I got out my Pokedex to scan the little creature sleeping lazily high up in the tree. It was a small, purple feline Pokemon, apparently a Dark-type known as Purrloin. While its species name caused me some trepidation, a Dark type was certainly different, and apparently they were quite rare on this route. I grinned slyly. Here was my chance.

"Charlotte, grab it with Vine Whip and slam it to the ground!" I commanded, probably a bit too enthusiastically, as the Purrloin woke up, immediately arched its back in my direction, and hissed loudly.

Charlotte was undeterred, though. She did still manage to grab the weaker, smaller Pokemon, but not without a Scratch attack or two to the face once she reeled him in. Growling in pain, she slammed the little kitten Pokemon into the ground and Tackled it for good measure.

By this point, I was starting to both pity and respect our opponent. As much as he knew he was beaten, the kitten still snarled at Charlotte and reared up as though to attack again. He barely saw the Pokeball coming, and it barely shook before locking shut.

"Score!" I exclaimed. "Great work, Charlotte. Hopefully little Reaper will be more inclined to work with us now that he's bound to me with a Pokeball."

Charlotte smirked and nodded decisively. I returned her as well, then finally came back to the main path towards Accumula.

When the city was in sight, I also caught a glimpse of Bianca's giant green cap on the ground, in the mouth of a chubby, happy-go-lucky looking Lillipup. She certainly had a talent for finding those types of Pokemon, I had to hand it to her.

"Midget! Get back here with that!" I heard a familiar scolding voice shout. Bianca ran by me, sweat dripping down her face, after the puppy Pokemon.

"Trouble in paradise?" I asked, smirking.

Bianca glared in my general direction before commanding her new Pokemon to "drop it", and after he finally obeyed she returned him to his Pokeball.

"You need to stay in there until you learn how to listen to me!" she scolded at her Trainer belt, clearly unaware that her Lillipup was now in a suspended state and therefore unable to hear her commands.

I was about to educate her on the science of Pokeballs when Aria joined us, jogging over from behind a clump of trees. Azure the Oshawott was at her side, while a Minccino of her own was perched happily on her right shoulder, nuzzling her ear.

"Oh my goodness, Mopsy! You need to stop that!" she exclaimed, giggling.

"Oh, what an adorable Minccino! I'm so jealous! How about it, Aria?" Bianca asked cheerfully and somehow all in one breath. "Do you want to compare which one of us has the most Pokemon with them?"

"I just have the two you see before you," she replied. "How about you guys?"

"Two! We all have the same number, then!" Bianca replied. "I caught a Lillipup, and...what did you catch again, Cheren? I saw the new Pokeball, but you were too busy making fun of Midget to tell me!"

"I managed to catch a rare Dark-type called a Purrloin," I replied. Disappointed at their lack of reaction, I simply continued, "Incidentally, if you check your Pokedex, you'll see how many Pokemon you've found and how many you've caught. I'm off to Accumula Town. The professor is waiting!"

Apparently among my undiscovered talents was prescience, because as soon as I mentioned her name, Aria's Xtransceiver began ringing.

"Hello! How is everybody doing?" the professor sang cheerfully through the staticky speakers of Aria's outdated device. "You and your Pokemon are getting along great now, right?"

"Oh! Professor!" Bianca exclaimed. There was an awkward silence as we all waited for her to ask a question that never came.

"Yes...well then...right now, I'm in front of Accumula Town's Pokemon Center! I'd like to show you around, so hurry on over, everyone!"

"Okay! The Pokemon Center, right!" Bianca confirmed like we hadn't all just heard the same information. I made a mental note to distract her in all future phone conversations with the professor.

"Okay, see you!" the professor replied, and ended the call.

"Well, I'm going on ahead," I said abruptly, and kept up a brisk pace for the last few miles to the Pokemon Center. Bianca and Aria lagged behind, arm-in-arm and laughing as Midget and Mopsy chased each other around the leaf piles along the route.

So many years later, this is one of my favorite images of my friends that I have in my mind: happiness and innocence untouched, dreams still within reach, unaware of the danger we would meet just outside Route 1's safe forest canopies.

After getting my own personal (and extremely boring and basic - seriously, I know to hand my Pokemon to Nurse Joy and Audino and how to buy Potions) tour of a Unovan Pokemon Center, I thanked Professor Juniper as graciously as I could manage, and then escaped to the town square, where clearly there was something much more interesting happening.

A large crowd was gathered around a man with long green hair, wearing a ridiculous, multicolored cape and walking with a cane. Surrounding him were his posse of equally ridiculous-looking, but more understated gray hoods, carrying blue-and-white banners with a big "P" on the front, crossed by a lightning bolt. Surveying the area, I suddenly noticed Aria's high ponytail bobbing among the crowd.

"Hey, Aria, come here a second," I urged. She nodded quickly, clearly understanding the importance of whatever was happening. Azure fidgeted with his scalchop, picking up on his trainer's nerves.

The caped crusader began, "My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokemon liberation."

 _What on_ earth _?!_

If anything, the more this "Ghetsis" spoke, the more delusional he sounded. "I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokemon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However...is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans...only assume that this is the truth?"

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, remembering how I had captured Reaper at a defenseless moment for the poor kitten Pokemon. He had fought like a Pyroar, almost to the point of fainting. Was it right for me to capture him? Sure, to the victor went the spoils, and since Reaper was so young, it was fair to assume this would have made him easy prey for a predator Pokemon if one had happened to come along and I had rescued him from that fate. But I had never stopped to ask myself if my new team member had wanted that. Nor had I even let him out of his ball since Nurse Joy restored his strength...

As if reading my mind, Ghetsis pressed, "Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers. They get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work. Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth to what I am saying?"

How I hated that I could not.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokemon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokemon?"

Pausing for a few moments as the crowd whispered amongst themselves, clearly confused and ashamed, our resident orator continued, "That's right! We must liberate the Pokemon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokemon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokemon, and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention." And as quickly as they had appeared, the hoods and their oddly well-spoken leader picked up their banners and departed.

"About that speech...what do you think we should do?" an older man shakily asked the young man next to him.

"Liberate Pokemon? That's not even possible!" the younger man replied belligerently, and from there the crowd dispersed, leaving behind Aria, Azure, and I, plus a tall, thin man in a baseball cap and gray jumpsuit, green hair flowing in a ponytail behind his head. If it hadn't been such a serious conversation, I likely would have pointed out to Aria how this man had even more fabulous hair than she did.

Aria hugged Azure tighter, clearly terrified at the thought of already losing the creature she had waited for so long to train and get to know better.

"Osha, Oshawott!" he exclaimed happily, rubbing his cheek against hers.

At that, the green ponytail whipped around, revealing a gaunt and obviously shocked teenage face.

"Your Pokemon...just now, it was saying-"

"Slow down, you talk too fast," I snapped, still on edge from my roiling emotions. "And what's this about Pokemon...talking? That's an odd thing to say."

"Yes...they're talking," he replied, somewhat slower and more soft than before. "Oh...then you two can't hear it, either...how sad. My name is N."

 _Well, I guess compared to Ghetsis, of all the weird words, having just an initial isn't_ that _unusual._

"My name is Cheren, and this is Aria," I replied tentatively. "We were asked to complete the Pokedex, and we just left on our journey. My main goal is to become the Champion, though."

"The Pokedex, eh?" N shot back. "So...you're going to confine many, many Pokemon in Pokeballs for that, then. I'm a Trainer, too, but I can't help wondering...are Pokemon really happy that way?"

"Well, Aria, is it?" he then asked. Eyes wide, she jumped at being addressed directly by a virtual stranger. "Let me hear your Pokemon's voice again!"


End file.
